office

Q: As our company expands, two of my team members and I have been moved from our individual cubicles to one room. We are soon to have a fourth team member added. I will be the first to admit that I am extremely sensitive to hearing other people’s chewing. It is probably my biggest pet peeve, after gum cracking/bubble blowing. One of my teammates eat some sort of crunchy cereal almost all day long. I made a joke about it once and he switched to bread for that day. Needless to say, the crunching started back up the next day. Even with my headphones on, listening to calls, I can hear it. Our other teammate once asked him what he was eating and, after he asked, did confirm that she could hear him chewing. Is there a way to tactfully say something? Is it even appropriate to consider saying something?

A: It is a delicate situation. You might consider speaking to him privately and say something along the lines of “John, I realize I’m extremely sensitive to sounds and I know it’s difficult to eat crunchy foods quietly. Nonetheless, I can still hear your chewing with my headphones on and when listening to calls, and, to be honest, it is distracting. I hope you understand.” However, this is only a suggestion and may not work. You may have no choice but to simply block out the sound as best you can.

Q: We have a work colleague who is getting married in a month. She is not throwing any special party at work, nor is she inviting anybody from her immediate work team. Is it proper etiquette that we buy her a present and have a small work party during lunch? Also somebody is suggesting that we send her flowers from the company, is this appropriate?

A: Sure! It is very nice for co-workers to celebrate occasions in the life of a colleague, with no expectation of an invitation or of being included in the actual wedding day.

Q: I started a new job about 8 months ago, and since I started, the woman I work with makes disgusting snorting, hocking and throat clearing noises. It’s almost constant – about every 2 to 5 minutes there is some kind of disgusting noise emanating out of the cubicle. She does it on the phone with clients, around upper management, just all the time. The people we work with complain about it, and we all commiserate about it – frankly it turns the stomach. I really think she’s oblivious to the fact that she makes these noises. I have offered various over-the-counter medications as well as cough drops, but she has not taken the hint.

A: It sounds as if this issue extends well beyond your own discomfort, and is affecting the work environment. It could be time to speak with a supervisor or HR representative about possible resolutions to the problem. Whatever you do, we hope you’ll keep kindness, respect, courtesy and honesty in mind, so there’s no embarrassment on the part of your co-worker, and so your working relationship does not become awkward.